News Archive

The Government today (June 24) announced that the Antiquities Authority has declared the fortified structure at No. 55 Ha Pak Nai, Yuen Long, as a monument under the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance. The notice of the declaration was gazetted today.

Built around 1910, the fortified structure is the only remaining building in Hong Kong with solid evidence of having a direct connection with the revolutionary movement under the leadership of Dr Sun Yat-sen and his compatriots. As testimony to Hong Kong's role in the revolutionary movement, the fortified structure has high historical significance. It was accorded Grade One historic building status by the Antiquities Advisory Board in 2010.

With its advantageous location overlooking Deep Bay and Shenzhen, No. 55 Ha Pak Nai was an operational base of the revolutionary movement. A place of refuge for the revolutionaries under the cover of a rice mill and sugar refinery was set up around 1910 at the site after the mutiny of the New Army in Guangzhou. A fortified structure was also built by Mr Tang Yam-nam, who was a core member of Hsing Chung Hui, for those keeping watch on the area across Deep Bay, which was then under the administration of the Qing authority.

The declaration of the fortified structure as a monument coincides with the centenary of the 1911 Revolution. The Government will provide display facilities at the site in the second half of 2011.

Information on the fortified structure is available on the heritage conservation website of the Development Bureau (www.heritage.gov.hk).